Sick Little Secrets
by SSSRHA
Summary: Everyone's got a secret. Team 7's are just a little sicker than others'. One-shot. Wrote this a year ago, not the best writing, but still pretty good. (Now has a Spanish translation, courtesy of TinyCandy)


Everyone is allowed to have some secrets. One may be in the strictest place in the world, where everything they do is monitored down to the number of times you blink. Still, everyone has secrets, we're just human, after all.

It is no different in the Shinobi World. Everyone has something no one else knows. There's something about Team 7, though, just attracts secrets. Four people with burning pasts (one not-so obvious) are obviously bound to have some.

* * *

Kakashi was young when his father killed himself. He didn't know if he forgives his father yet, but he certainly didn't hate him. Kakashi was only a little older when he saw his friend die right in front of his eyes. To think, Obito died because of his mistakes. Then, he had killed Rin. He, who had wanted to protect her.

Kakashi visited the KIA memorial everyday. It held the names of his dearest friends, but he rarely ever visited his father's grave. He didn't like to, didn't want to even, but every year, on his father's death, Kakashi somehow ended up at his father's grave. He didn't know how it happened, it just did.

This wasn't his secret, no, many of his fellow Jounins knew about his yearly visits. Most secrets, like all of Team 7's, are just thoughts, barely swirling around their heads. He didn't acknowledge the thought, even though, to him, it was true. When he visited his father's grave, he remembered how his father died.

It was on a mission. No, he didn't die during the mission, his comrade almost did, though. His father, the famed "White Fang of the Leaf" had abandoned the mission in order to save his teammate. When he came back, he did receive thanks, but he also received scorn. So many frowned and looked down upon him for saving the life of his friend. Soon, all of it got to his head. He killed himself.

It was no wonder that Kakashi was so hesitant to abandon his mission to save his friend. Kakashi, now, says that he would do the same thing his father had done on the mission. He would save his comrade, no matter the consequences. Deep down, though, he questions this.

Did his father really make the right call? If his father had just finished the mission, would everything that had happened to Kakashi happen? Was it all his father's fault, all of the suffering that Kakashi had gone through? Kakashi knew that it was more complicated than that. So many things happened. True, one event could change everything, but it could also change nothing at all.

Still, in the back of Kakashi's mind, it lingered there. That doubt. The childish part of his brain just wanted someone to blame everything on, a scapegoat. But Kakashi was not a child. His mind wouldn't listen, though. It unconsciously insisted that it was all his father's fault.

After all, if it couldn't blame his father, it had to blame him. And, as old and kind as Kakashi was, he was still too petty to blame it all on himself.

* * *

Sasuke was part of the noble Uchiha Clan. It used to be one of the most elite in Konoha, right next to the Hyuuga. His father was the head of the Police Force, and his brother, the heir. When his brother killed his entire clan, except for his little brother and himself, Sasuke was shocked. Then, he was mad.

Like his brother told him to, he grew his hate for Itachi Uchiha, the S-Class missing ninja. Killing his whole family was despicable. Sasuke waited and waited, aspiring to grow stronger everyday, just to have the chance to one day be strong enough, and brave enough, to kill Itachi.

There was something, though. A thought that Sasuke never let invade his consciousness, forcing it to just float in the background. It was a heinous thought, one he wanted to slap himself just for having. What was that thought?

He admired his big brother. Yes, the one who had murdered everyone close to Sasuke, the one that had told Sasuke to hate him, the one who had ruined his entire life. And he admired him. Sasuke refused to admit just how true that was.

Itachi was so powerful, and so, dare he say, cool. He was capable of killing over 300 people, many of whom were trained ninja, without getting caught. He was amazing! And before the whole incident, Sasuke remembered that Itachi was so smart. He was the best at everything. He was made ANBU at such a young age, why wouldn't he want to be like him.

The logical part of Sasuke's mind pointed out that Itachi had went crazy and killed everyone, but still. Itachi had power. Everyone sought power, whether they are a politician who wants power to use as they see fit, or a simple child who just wants the power to get her friends to play what she wants to play. Once again, why wouldn't he want to be like him?

But no. Sasuke never wanted to kill an innocent. He would reserve that for Itachi. His blood alone was enough. He wouldn't stop until he could accomplish his goal.

Still, Sasuke admired him. He had since he was a little boy, and he never once stopped. But the thought sat down. Its time was over. Sasuke couldn't be persuaded. Not now, at least. But when he met Itachi, it would be there. It would force its way into his mind and demand his attention.

After all, if Sasuke killed Itachi, the thought would never go away. It would haunt him for the rest of his life. And it knew that Sasuke didn't need anything else hanging over him for the remainder of his days.

* * *

Sakura seems so happy. Just a normal fangirl. No one suspected that she was anything else. Sakura's past was dank. Her parents weren't the best, but they definitely weren't the worst. Her parents never beat her. No, it was quite the opposite. They barely touched her at all. They didn't talk to her. They didn't even give her more than a passing glance when they passed her in the hallway, like she was just another stranger that they passed on the street. On most days, she didn't even see them. They were gone by the time she woke up, and didn't come back until late at night, when she was fast at sleep.

How it was, to her parents, she was just another stranger that they passed on the street. Even when she was young, she was always looked after by a nanny. Not that she cared. What was point of getting upset at someone whom you've barely met? It was pointless.

She didn't care. So, when she had this thought, it made her sick to her stomach, thinking about just how true it was.

They could die, and she wouldn't even care. She didn't even try to deny it. Sure, she'd be sad. She'd sniffle a little, maybe shed a few tears, but five minutes later, she'd be perfectly fine. Why would she get worked up over someone she barely knew? Even Sasuke had been around for her more than her parents had.

Again, the thought made her sick. She should care about her parents more than this. But then again, whose fault was that? Who never tried to meet her, who barely ever talked to her, who never attended a single one of her birthday parties. If she didn't care whether or not her parents died, then it was probably the same the other way around. Why would they care?

Sakura ended that train of thought. She should bring it up with her parents. She should try to get to know them. But Sakura knew that she would never do it.

After all, why would she try so hard to get to know someone who had just as long to try and get to know her. Someone who neglected their duties as parents, and acted as though it was perfectly fine. No, Sakura didn't want or need to know them. Not when there were so many people in the world that were actually worth meeting.

* * *

Naruto's hair depicted him perfectly, bright and unruly. He was always playing pranks, always getting on people's nerves, always trying to get noticed. Oh, they noticed him, but not in the best way. Their glares spoke volumes on how they thought of him. They silently hissed, "Keep away!" Naruto never let that get him down. He never cried. After all, crying had no use. All it does is waste time when he could be out having fun.

One day, they'll look at him the right way. The way they looked at Old Man Hokage. Exactly like they looked at Old Man Hokage. Naruto knew that one day, he would be Hokage. His face would be up on the huge cliff overlooking Konoha with his predecessors, and they wouldn't treat him like dirt. They would acknowledge him.

At the back of his mind, the very back, he wondered, whether he should even bother. They hate him now, why would it be any different just because he ruled over them. Sure, his face would be on the mountain, but they would still glare. They always did.

No. Naruto flung that thought into the deepest part of his mind. They would like him. He would make them, one way or another. They would see him the way he wanted them to see him, without bias. They would forgive him for whatever he had done to make them so angry.

But still, he had heard somewhere that people never change. Sure, they seem like they do, but deep down, they're always the same. Naruto didn't know which was worse, them not liking him, or them just acting like they did. He hated both. Maybe it was pointless. But no, he refused to believe that. There was always a chance. He would strive to get better everyday.

Still, deep down, the thought chewed at his mind. Was it pointless? Maybe he should stop caring.

After all, what good was trying so hard to achieve your goal, when you knew from the very start, that you could never achieve it at all? No, he would keep trying, but for the rest of his struggle, it would always be on Naruto's mind.

* * *

All four members of the soon-to-be Team 7 dismissed the thoughts from their heads. They were currently introducing themselves to each other.

They could sort through their messed up minds later, when they were alone. They didn't need help. No one needed to know.

They were, after all, their own sick little secrets.


End file.
